Page 10 - September Banner 2018_Neat

Page 10 September 2018
B u s i n e s s news
Those Wear y of High Health Costs Rejoice as Dr. Gallo Provides New
Health Ser vices Oppor tunity in Our Local Area
Deb Abraham Spalding
It’s becoming an epidemic. People
either don’t have health insurance or
they can’t afford to use the insurance
they do have. Whether needing basic
health care from time-to-time, a sick
visit, or suspecting a bigger health
problem, the new Franklin Family
Medicine Direct Primary Care (FFM)
in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania—
located in the shopping center near
the Blue Ridge Summit Post Office—
offers services that can help.
FFM founders, Dr. Gary Gallo and
his wife Margie, a registered nurse,
are the first in our area to offer Direct
Primary Care (DPC) services. At the
suggestion of their daughter, Jacki,
a physician in the Family Medicine
Residency program at UPMC St.
Margaret’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, the
family researched the DPC concept
and took a year to set it up. The FFM
DPC opportunity is new. “It’s all
about good patient care and getting
back to good service,”Dr. Gallo said.
FFM gives us an opportunity
for primary health care that we can
afford. Now, those who have no
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insurance, those who have insurance affordable and smart.
with high deductibles, and employers Membership is just
who want to offer their employees a $70.00 per month per
healthy benefit, have an option that adult, plus just $10.00
works. per month for each
FFM is a family medical practice child under the age of
where an affordable monthly twenty-six. Dr. Gallo
membership fee pays for all of your serves people of all ages,
primary care, routine, and sick visit regardless of where Courtesy Photo
health needs, plus 24-hour access by the patient resides—
phone with Dr. Gallo for any medical Maryland, Pennsylvania,
question or concern. Dr. Gallo’s DPC or any other state if in
services are affordable so that those the area for a long-term
with no insurance will have these temporary assignment.
basic health services covered, and Please note that, at this
those with high deductibles can opt time, Medicare patients
to use DPC rather than pay the high are not eligible for
price out-of-pocket for their sick visits membership in FFM.
and routine medical care (thus the With FFM
advantage of offering this perk by an membership, here’s Margie Gallo, Registered Nurse, and Dr. Gary Gallo, are shown
employer). what you get for NO outside the Franklin Family Medicine offices in Blue Ridge
Summit.
Basically, by cutting out the ADDITIONAL FEE:
middleman (the insurance companies), a yearly physical with routine the concept is revolutionizing our
the office staff who make the calls bloodwork (FFM has its own lab nation’s broken healthcare system.
to haggle with insurance companies in-house, so standard blood work is Originally from the Pittsburgh area,
are no longer needed, thus reducing included in DPC); yearly well-child Dr. Gallo, Margie, their son Marcus,
the overall inflation within the health checks; health maintenance visits; and daughter Jacki moved to the area
care system. DPC membership is sick visits with in-house testing (if in 1999. Dr. Gallo earned a bachelor’s
needed for strep, mono, flu, etc., plus degree from the United States Military
no additional fee for antibiotics if Academy at West Point, and a law
needed); recommended vaccinations; degree at Georgetown University Law
and 24-hour access by phone to your School before pursuing a career in
doctor for any medical question or medicine. He graduated from East
concern. Those suffering from—or Tennessee State University’s Quillen
suspecting they may have—diabetes, School of Medicine, then completed
heart problems, high blood pressure, the Family Practice Residency Program
COPD, and/or asthma may find that at Latrobe Hospital in Pittsburgh.
FFM is an affordable way to manage He has been Board Certified in the
their care with this opportunity. specialty of Family Medicine since
FFM uses prescription drug affiliates 1999, and he is a member of the
that cost less than even our cheapest American Academy of Family Practice
pharmacy. Prescriptions are either Physicians, as well as the Pennsylvania
picked up locally or mailed directly to Medical Society.
your home. It is a bonus that while operating
When needing specialist visits, FFM, Dr. Gallo is the managing
radiologic diagnostic studies, therapy, partner physician with Waynesboro
and non-routine labs and testing, Family Medical Associates (WFMA)
FFM has established, and continues in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. Thus,
to expand upon, a local-area network there is a flow of service that can
of providers who will offer these transition beyond basic and sick
services at discount pricing. Does this services to either the traditional care
mean we should all start to opt out at WFMA or the local-area providers
of our high-priced, high-deductible through FFM. Please note that the
insurance? Firmly, No! But, DPC two practices, FFM and WFMA, are
services are just beginning and the separate entities.
future is bright with alternatives to If you think FFM may serve
the costly practices currently faced your needs, call 717-785-1151
in our insurance-based health care to learn more and to set up a
system. free get-to-know-us introductory
Dr. Gallo explained that FFM visit. The address of the office is
club members rarely have to wait to 14961 Buchanan Trail East, Blue
be seen, and they receive more time Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania. Visit
with the doctor for more thorough FranklinFamilyMedicine.com for
care. Hundreds of DPC practices more information and see their ad on
have opened around the country, and page 31.